Banner, EMCH reveal possible expansion plans to community

By Iva Kay Horner Publisher/Editor

Posted:
03/05/2013 08:09:09 AM MST

Updated:
03/05/2013 08:09:48 AM MST

Meeting future health care needs of the Brush community and surrounding area is a key issue for East Morgan County Hospital (EMCH) and Banner Health.At an informational meeting held last week, EMCH CEO Linda Thorpe provided information on the proposed "Inpatient Unit Planning" that would not only increase parking around the facility, but move the hospital from its current three private and eight semiprivate rooms to a unit featuring inpatient private rooms of 19 beds.While EMCH has a proud history of meeting the health care needs of the community, Thorpe told those attending. "We believe this project will allow us to build upon that commitment and continue providing quality patient care and an excellent patient experience well into the future."The project would feature approximately 48 parking spots in the front of the facility, and a covered drop-off area, along with much closer parking in a new hospital setting, she explained. "It also would give us a great visual from Highway 34."In her presentation, Thorpe explained the original facility opened in 1967 when land was donated for construction. Since that time, the Alonzo Petteys Rehabilitation Center has been added, the emergency room and registration/patient access services and gift shop were relocated, and renovations of the lab and X-ray departments were made. The 11,000 square foot project for Brush Family Medicine was completed in 2005.The renovation of the surgical suite in 2010, brought completion of the 1994 master facility plan, she commented.

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Another reason for the proposed expansion includes the significant growth the hospital has had from 2007 to 2012. According to Thorpe, there has been a 73 percent increase in inpatient admissions, with an 80 percent increase in patient days due to the complexity of the patients needs. "We are very much challenged with the set up we have from 1967," she stated.Challenges with patient safety and privacy are another contributing factor to the proposed expansion.The facility also has experienced success when it comes to recruiting and retaining physicians, she said. "We are using almost every square inch of the building that we can today…finding storage is a challenge for us."It is also important for the facility to be able to meet the future health care needs of the community while meeting it's non-profit mission of 'We exist to make a difference in people's lives through excellent patient care', Thorpe continued.Additionally, moving forward with the new unit would sustain the long-term partnership of the EMCH District, Banner Health, Jack Petteys Memorial Foundation, Joslin-Needham Family Foundation and the local community, she continued."A newly designed unit would bring improved efficiency, meet current health care requirements and meet future health care needs of the community," the CEO noted, adding that along with new technology and medical equipment, infrastructure updates in mechanical, electrical, plumbing and heating/cooling would allow for relocation of the Central Plant from the basement to its own outside location.While inpatient rooms will increase in number, they would also increase in size, she stated. Currently, each of the eight private rooms allows for 161 square foot per patient. The new rooms would increase by approximately 80 square foot per patient to 246 square foot.In relation to Health Care Reform, Thorpe noted that by taking proactive steps, it will lower costs, as well as enhance the quality of patient care and patient satisfaction."In the future, part of what we will be doing is looking at individual wellness and partnering with other health care systems outside of the hospital," she said. Currently, EMCH partners with Eben Ezer Lutheran Center with midlevel medical personnel from the hospital going to the nursing home facility each week to perform assessments.The CEO also reviewed inpatient and surgical growth from 2006 to 2012, explaining that acute admissions have risen from 294 to 510 and acute admissions increasing from 902 to 1,624. Inpatient surgeries rose from 41 to 46 while outpatient surgeries climbed from 201 to 294. She explained that the hospital has seen a decrease in surgeries with the departure of one of its surgeons.On the outpatient level, registrations have grown from 19,357 to 20,756, with emergency room visits increasing from 2,936 to 3,767.As to where EMCH sits amongst its sister hospitals, Thorpe announced the Brush facility sits in the second spot, or the 95th percentile, when it comes to the inpatient satisfaction rate comparison. "That means that only five percent in the nation are rated higher," she explained. "We have a strong patient satisfaction loyalty…we take this very seriously and have put a lot into practice over the past year."Part of making for a good patient experience is communication with physicians, she continued. "We are constantly working on this…it's part of making sure the patient has a great experience while in the hospital," Thorpe noted.Since 2009, the hospital has added two internal medicine physicians, three in family practice, one family practice midlevel associate and four for emergency medicine. "This has given us the ability to grow our services and our volumes," she told those attending.Current recruitment activity includes looking for another physician in family practice, a midlevel family practice person, as well as staff in orthopedics and emergency medicine. Outreach strategies utilized by the hospital include an acupuncturist, audiologist, cardiologists, general surgery, OB/GYN, orthopedics, prosthetics, oncology and neurology. Specialty fields coming to EMCH in March will be in the fields of dermatology, ear, nose and throat, ophthalmology and pulmonology, she said.The layout of the new campus will be located east of the hospital, she continued, which allows for future expansion, better patient flow and the availability of more parking.Although the project still has to go before the City of Brush's Planning Zoning Commission on March 18 and then the full council on March 26 and again on April 8, the CEO explained that a traffic study already has been completed. As the hospital will be asking for permission to close off a portion of the road, a suggestion of reducing the speed limit was made to help with the traffic flow.At this point in time, the hospital has submitted its land usage to the city to replat in of the area and its request to gain right-of-way on the street.When asked about Brush Family Medicine, Thorpe explained that will not change nor will the facility be moved. She also is not able to define all of the services that could be available in the new building, stating, "We are looking at services that we can potential add."Thorpe, along with District Board members and Brad McCaslin, Project Manager/ Development & Construction with Banner Health, fielded questions involving storm water and the possibility of decreased water pressure in the immediate area, if the project will utilize green and/or solar components, enhanced lighting and visibility, the noise level on the outdoor Utility Plant, how the bidding process works and if a reduction in the speed limit, as well as a traffic light would be a possibility at the intersection with Highway 34.As to concerns regarding water pressure, City Administrator Monty Torres explained "You won't see a change…the system is looped. We have the capacity to increase water pressure throughout the city if needed." According to Thorpe, the plan to to remove only the piece that crosses from Edmunds to Stanford. "It still loops all the way around the hospital…it's being relocated, not terminated," she said.According to McCaslin, the exterior of the Utility Plant will be block with the noise to be dampened by the building. "The generators are planned to be in the outside area with a wall around it so the sound is projected upward, not out into the neighborhood."Answering how the bidding process works, Thorpe said, "Our process goes through the Banner bid process." Because of the insurance requirements set by Banner that not many local contractors obtain, she continued, "we will definitely try to use local subcontractors…we will contact contractors locally and use a community outreach process."Traffic issues will be further addressed by working with the Colorado Department of Transportation, with the traffic study to determine future needs and/or changes.Funding for the approximate $18 million project will be a partnership between the District Board, Banner Health and the local community, she stated, with Banner Health contributing around 50 percent. Currently, the project has approximately 75 percent of the funding needed, Thorpe commented, adding a reassurance to citizens that there is no current plan to increase the mill levy from its current 4.2 mills. Serving as architects for the project are Davis Partnership Architects of Denver who have assisted the hospital district with projects since the 1980s.It is expected that construction on the In Patient Unit will begin this summer and run through December 2014."We are fortunate to have this hospital in this community and to have the people that are employed here," Thorpe said in winding up the meeting. "We've made a lot of progress."

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